A new service called Internet Media Player (iMP), put into action by Ashley Highfield, the BBC's director of new media and technology, will go into testing later this month, and could see all the BBC's programs being downloadable. The new scheme allows for Web users to go onto the BBC website, view a listing of the previous week's TV programs, and then decide to either watch or download them with the click of a button. You would also be able to transfer the content onto a PDA or burn it to DVD to watch on your TV.

The three-week test will start with 500 BBC employees being given the service. Available programs cover the popular soaps, documentaries, and dramas, and there will also be previews available of future programs. A further 1,000-person-strong (they'll all have broadband connections) public test is also planned.

The reason for such a service is made clear by Mr. Highfield:

If we don't enter this market, then exactly what happened to the music industry could happen to us, where we ignore it, keep our heads in the sand and everybody starts posting the content up there and ripping us off.

MATTHEW'S OPINION
Finally, someone takes the plunge and decides to offer TV content in digital form freely on the Internet … although this is a special case because the BBC is paid for by the people and does not have to rely on advertising for revenue. It is nice to see, though, and follows its efforts to get radio online as well.

Other channels should follow suit but probably won't. Those stations could include the advertisements as part of the download, meaning users could view them or fast forward past them just as if they had recorded the program themselves. The only limitation would be that you won't get access to content the channel did not produce itself.

There is no mention of DRM being used by the BBC; that could hurt its DVD releases because people will no longer have to buy them if all the episodes of their favorite series are available for download and burning. Other questions that haven't been answered include: how long the BBC will retain the content? Will it be changed every week or will there be a month's worth of retention? What format is the video going to be offered in?

The answers to these questions probably won't become clear until the public trial, hopefully later this year.

USER COMMENTS 14 comment(s)

The old dinasour(9:17am EST Tue May 04 2004)Surprisingly looking as though it could be in for a new lease of life. They'll undoubtably stream and server lower res video so I don't see how it'll hurt their DVD sales too badly. People who want to rip off media are always gonna find a way, but making most of the low quality stuff freee atleast reduces the opertunity for others to profit from ripping it off. - by anqe

Compression(9:29am EST Tue May 04 2004)will decrease enough and broadband will increase enough to where we will see streming HD over the internet in the near future! - by HighDefForum.com

I hate the bbc(9:49am EST Tue May 04 2004)I have to pay them a license fee of £120 a year ($180) just because I have a tv, and I hardly ever watch bbc programs. Also its full of left wing liberal propaganda!But other than that its ok. - by jon

Nice(9:54am EST Tue May 04 2004)Regardless of the outcome of this venture, you have to respect the BBC's willingness to grow along with technology. - by FACEs

As a UK expat …(10:18am EST Tue May 04 2004)I miss British TV terribly. American TV sucks in every way, shape and form. I would gladly pay to be able to download quality shows – decent dramas and stuff that actually makes you think. - by Sir Galahad

This RULES!(10:47am EST Tue May 04 2004)I love British television! Absolutely Fabulous, The Black Adder, Monty Python, Faulty Towers, French and Saunders, Whose Line Is It Anyway, What Not to Wear, Coupling, Two Fat Ladies, The Young Ones, and on and on and on. American TV is such crap these days, BBC is one of the few stations I can actually watch. Free online downloads just makes it that much better. Bravo for forward thinking, which once again is done by someone other than the American mass media. - by MSP

Top gear!(11:15am EST Tue May 04 2004)No more slow downloads on p2p. - by Evan Brom.

yes!!!!!!!(11:57am EST Tue May 04 2004)does this mean i can watch balamory anytime i want???????????!!!!!!! yay

i love you bbc - by willandgraceiscrap

Yes!(2:35pm EST Tue May 04 2004)I love the BBC, and who says its full of left wing people. I am left wing, but just last week, former a Tory (who are right wing) was guest hosting 'Have I Got News For You' and I have no problem with that. There are many right winfers littering BBC too.

BBC programs are far better than all the crap shown by ITV, Channel4, Five and Sky. Apart from C4's No Angels, what else is there from the other major 4. Nowt. Top Gear is due to return this weekend! YES YES YES! No more missing my favourite car show.

And no advert! I have a Hauppauge WinTV Nova-t where I can record any films shown on BBC without adverts. Because its broadcast in DVD format, I would never have to buy the DVDs again. Just last night they showed Pearl Harbor (crap film) with just a single news break. Just pause and resume when the film resumed and I have a 4Gb movie without paying £20 demanded by HMV. For £120 a year license fee, it is good value for money. - by Jon

only for UK people ? i hope so(4:32pm EST Tue May 04 2004)will only UK people be able to download the programs? we pay the licence fee so i don't want some Billy Bob Bob Senior the 3rd downloading at my expense? - by sx

RE:”only for UK people ? i hope so”(7:17am EST Wed May 05 2004)RE: “only for UK people ? i hope so”-by sx

Thank you sx. As an American i do tire of seeing an outspoken minority make it seem that selfish proventiality is a solely American flaw. I take serious exception to that kind of attitude, regardless of it's sorce.

BBC programming is , in my opinion, far superior to most other countries programming. It should also be considered to be a potential source of funding. I for one would gladly pay a subscribtion fee. Think of it as foreign aid perhaps if that helps. BBC provides the quality, the rest of the world provides funding. - by Bovinefeces

ROTFL at you and sx. You pwned that one, lol!!!But seriously, I agree w/ you on that point. Other people outsike of the UK enjoy watching BBC, maybe even enough to pay for it. - by some guy

BBC Internet Media Player(10:28pm EST Sat Jun 05 2004)As a brit living in Canada I too think that BBC programming is superior to anything that North America has to offer and so would be more than willing to pay to receive it. - by Lola